We Were Soldiers Review

We Were Soldiers (2002)

An excellent view of the early Vietnam experience was adapted from the novel by General Harold G. Moore, who had commanded the 1/7 Cavalry at the Battle of Ia Drang in November 1965. The First Battalion of the 7th Cavalry (1/7 Cav) had fought the first major engagement between American forces and North Vietnamese regulars, as directed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Randall Wallace directed We Were Soldiers and Mel Gibson starred as Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Hal Moore, who led the battalion through its training phase in Fort Benning GA and also when they were posted as a unit to Vietnam. The 1/7 Cav was a new kind of unit; rather than the old fashioned horse cavalry of General Custer, this was Air Cav - they rode choppers to the battlefield. In fact, Moore is often shone pondering if the 1/7 will meet the same fate as their namesake, General Custer’s ill fated regiment.

The helicopters are the old workhorse UH-1 Iroquois, AKA Slick or Huey, driven by jockeys like Maj. Bruce “Snake” Crandall who trained with the troops and ferried them tirelessly back and forth from the landing zone (LZ). Crandall was so instrumental in the Battle of Ia Drang that he belatedly received the coveted Medal of Honor based on actions in that battle.

By design, the troops could only be inserted in dribs - about 60 at a time and then the choppers would have to return to base and pick up another load of troops. The first wave inserted into the Ia Drang Valley, Central Highlands immediately picked up resistance and by the time the 2nd wave arrived, it was a hot LZ. One platoon was cut off by the enemy and a prisoner informed them they had landed atop a NVA Division HQ - about 4,000 men. Moore had exactly 395 men, in other words, ten to one odds.

The battle raged continuously for three days and nights. When all was over, the battalion was credited with 1,800 kills with about 80 deaths on the American side. The names of the American dead, all 80 of them, are listed at the end of the movie.

The action was very well done with Randall Wallace coordinating many scenes where multiple elements had to come together with split second timing. The violence was intimidating and realistic. The only false note I detected was the music score with its eerie Gaelic wailing sound like the score to a Scottish movie. This is an American battle, not Braveheart!

Mel Gibson has proved he has the acting chops and maturity to respectfully depict a deeply religious man who cares for his troops without smirking. Well done! Support is provided by Sam Elliott, sans mustache, as Sergeant Major Plumley – the fightingest CSM I ever saw. He distrusted the M16 rifle, therefore fought the entire battle with a Colt .45 Automatic Pistol, standing up, fully exposed. I don’t know if the real CSM Plumley did that, but it was quite impressive in the movie.

The Paramount DVD is presented in 2.35: 1 widescreen mode in color, lasting 138 minutes, with a host of extras that makes it a very worthwhile DVD package for your collection.